Years ago, I learned that it’s not about me when living in a community. The lesson has followed me throughout my life.
Decades ago, someone taught me a lesson about living in a community that has followed me throughout my life. The strange thing is they were not trying to teach me anything. They were remaining true to themselves and speaking and acting as they would in any situation.
A Conversation Killer
In our late twenties, Nancy and I arrived at Memorial Baptist Church (now Church of the Redeemer) in Cortland, New York. Joseph was only a few months old. I was fresh out of seminary. To say that our world was in transition would be something of an understatement.
Memorial Baptist was a smaller-sized congregation. Calling me to serve as the youth pastor was a huge step for them. During the interview process, we discussed the reality that there was enough money in the bank to pay my salary for one year. After that was gone, only God knew what would happen.
As I met the people who worshipped at Memorial, I met Don Perry and his wife, Janie. One morning following service, I talked with Don, and I mentioned how it was such a step of faith for the church to hire a youth pastor. There was such an opportunity. Don was quiet a moment and then said, I voted against that.
It was a conversation killer. [Read more…]
